Paul has shown that through Adam, sin entered the world, but through Christ, grace abounds for all. He declares, “Where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more” (Romans 5:20). This raises a question:
“What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply?”
If God’s grace surpasses our sin, why not sin more to receive more grace? Paul responds decisively:
“Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?”
Paul’s vehement “Absolutely not!” pushes back against such flawed thinking. He challenges us: having died to sin through Christ, why would we continue to live in it? Jesus came to conquer sin and its consequence, death. Would we now choose to remain in it? No, we are to die to it. In his letters, Paul often uses this concept, echoed in older translations as “mortify” or put to death. He urges us not to exploit God’s grace but to reject sin entirely. Paul illustrates this with baptism: we are buried with Christ, dying to sin, and raised to new life, just as Christ was raised, to live anew in Him (Romans 6:4). Jesus was crucified to break the power of sin, “so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin” (Romans 6:6).
“So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
God’s grace is not a license to sin but a call to live for Him. Through faith in Christ, we are justified and freed from sin’s dominion by His grace alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). Do I truly consider myself dead to sin, embracing the new life God has given me in Christ? Let us rejoice in His grace, which conquers sin’s power, and commit to living fully for God, reflecting His love and righteousness. May we daily surrender to Jesus, trusting in His victory over sin, and proclaim His grace to others, that they too may find life in Him.
